Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 839: Broadway Billy's Big Boom — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Y-/ ay aa | Me ’ Broadway Billy’s Big Boom. 5 ** Which windy is he at, dhat Oi may get a look at him?” Harry insisted. “Bother take you! Comein or stay out, and it little matters to me which yedo. [ll tell dhe gentleman, and he can come and talk with ye himself. Maybe then ye will be- lieve.”’ She had opened the door wide while talk- ing, and now stepped back asif to shut it spitefully. At the same instant the boy detective was caught from behind, just under the arms, by a pair of powerful hands, lifted clear from the ground and rushed into the house in a second. The door closed immediately, and Harry was a prisoner! ‘‘ Landed! like the sucker you are!” cried ‘the big man who had made the capture. ‘What do ye think about it, sonny?” ‘‘Begorra, it is puzzled Oi am,” Harry made answer, acting his part to the very best of his ability. ‘‘Fur phwat have yez run me into dhis ranch, Oi would loike to know av yez?” ‘‘May as well drop that lingo talk, for you are ina trap and ye knowit. We spot- ted ye as s00n as you came along and took interest in this house, and it was our business to make sureof ye. There’s no mse your kickin’. Get something to tie him with, Mom Brunner.” ‘Somethin’ is right here,” answered the old woman, producing some strong cord from her pocket. Just then another man put in his appear- aance,a thin fellow with remarkably sharp nose and chin; wearing a mustache. The first was a big, low-browed, brutal fellow with beardless face. ‘‘Nailed him, did you?” the new-comer remarked. ‘‘Bet your life on’t!” the big brute re- sponded. ‘‘ Here, you tie him while I hold him. No use your squirming, young feller; I’ve got you.” Harry had tried to struggle out of his grasp, but found it utterly useless to think of doing that. ‘Sure this is one of ’em?” thé thin man asked, as he proceeded to bind the youthful risoner’s hands, doing it in a way that was ‘intended to make escape impossible for him. ‘“Yes, he’s one of ’em hard and fast enough,” was the assurance. ‘‘He came sand fixed his eyes on the house, and there’s no mistake. Now fix his feet in the same way, and we’ve got him. Then as soon as we get the other we shall beall right. Oh! we are on the winning side!” ‘‘Begorra, Oi would be pl’azed to know phwat yez do be m’aning,” cried Harry, in ‘voice ofalarm, ‘‘ Phwat do yez intind doing wid me?” “Tt ain’t no use your playin’ it any longer,” the big brute declared. ‘‘ We are sure of who ye are.” ¢ ‘‘Bedhe powers av Brian Boru, it looks loike me name was Dinnis!” ‘‘“And it is, too; you’re our chowder now.” The fellow snatched off the cap Harry had on, With that, together with a wig of bright red hair, and Harry knew that further at- tempt to deceive was useless now. ‘“ Where is that partner of yours?” the man demanded. ‘‘He’s where you’ll soon hear from him, that’s sure,” Harry answered. ‘‘ He has seen this little trick played on me.” ‘“Do you mean that?” ‘* You can bet your buckles I do. If he isn’t here in ten minutes with a squad of police, it will be funny.” ‘‘Maybe you are lying to us. We'll take chances on it for the present, anyhow. Is ‘the dark room all ready for him, Mom Brunner?” “Yes; bring him right along.’’ The two men gagged Harry and carried Aim down the hall, entering a room without a window, where they deposited him on the floor. And thus had one of the boy beagles shar- ed the fate of his cmef, to a degree, and so early in the game that little or nothing had been accomplished against their foes. The room in which Harry had been put was & narrow one, not more than four feet wide, but it was of considerable length. It looked more like a narrow passage, the view Harry had had of it whileit wasopen. And it opened out to the hall by a narrow door. Closing the door upon him, the man and the woman moved away, and the next mo- ment Harry heard the men’s voices in a room on the left—that was, further toward the rear of the house.. The distinctness with which their words came to his ears proved the thinness of the wall between. He rightly guessed that the narrow room Was a secret one, so arranged as almost to defy discovery except upon the closest in- vestigation. ‘“What do you think about it, Hob?” he heard the voice of the thin man ask. ‘‘The sooner we get the other, the better,” was the response. ‘‘So I think, for if he has seen us, as this fellow said, there is danger that our game will miscarry after all our trouble.” “We can’t do much of anything till we hear from our gentleman,” rejoined the big fellow, whose voice was ‘‘ bigger” than the other’s in proportion to their bodily dif- ference. So they talked on, without touching upon anything of striking moment, until at length the front door was heard to close and other steps sounded in the hall. The door of the room opened, and the voice of another man joined in the talk, rather ex- citedly. ‘They have outdone us,” he announced. ‘‘ Who?’ demanded the man called Hob. “The boys, curse them! They fooled Harper, bad /” / ‘Well, one of them hasn’t outdone we, that is sure, for we have nabbed him.” ‘‘ Ha! that is excellent! Then it turned out as Harp said it might. But, the other is still at large.” ‘“Yes: and he’s the only one we have got to fear now. Their boss is done for, this fellow is safe, and as soon as we Can get hold of the other the whole thing is in our hands.” * Harry listened to these words with heavy eart. They implied that Broadway Billy had been killed, and the boy had every reason to fear it was so. ‘‘And everything must be done to get hold of him as soon as possible,” spoke the new-comer. ‘‘ Nothing must be left un- done. He can be trapped, and in a secret way,-too, if we only look alive about it.” ‘“'That’s what’s the matter,” muttered the thinner voice of the thin man. ‘‘ There must nothing stand inour way now. If we failin this one point the whole thing is up, and fo telling how much that fellow has found out, if he really did come here with the one we captured.” ; ‘“‘Tf you suspect that, let’s get out of here as soon as possible,” urged the new-comer. ‘Mom Brunner can deal with anybody who comes to search the house, and they’d never find him in a month. Come on.” They left the room immediately, their voices were heard for a moment in the hall as they talked with the old woman, then the front door was heard to close after them and they were gone; and Happy Harry, bound and gagged as he was, felt utterly hopeless and helpless in his darkened prison. CHAPTER V. SILENT SETH SNARED. As Silent Seth stood watching this house, wondering if it were possible that Broadway Billy could be a prisoner there, he had never a thought that Happy Harry was in bondage within its walls. When the men came out he took a good look at them, as stated, and quickly decided what to do as they walked away. On the one hand he was tempted to stay and investigate the house further, but on the other hand he felt that he ought to follow the men to learn as much about them as he could. He decided upon the latter course. The men had gained some distance the start, now, and he could follow without much danger of suspicion, His disguise was one of the most perfect he had, and one in which he had before won signal success, so he felt that the danger of discovery was slight providing he was care- ful. The men did not go far in company, all together, for presently they stopped; after having gone three or four blocks, and the big brutal fellow left the other two, going off in another direction by himself. And for a few moments Seth was undecided which to follow. He had to decide quickly, and as it was easier to follow one than two, he continued on the track of Hob—as we have heard him called. The work was simple and plain, the man going straight to a low saloon on a miserable street and entering. Seth sauntered on, and as he passed, on the other side of the street, looked to note the number, and at the same time he read the name of the proprietor over the door— Hob Feeny. While looking, a lad made his appearance from the place, at sight of whom the Silent Shadower gave a start. It was the same freckled boy who had brought the decoy message to the office on the previous day! Here was something, and Seth felt that he had important work on hand. The boy paused in the doorway for a mo- ment, and then started off down the street, Seth going after him promptly, determined to interview him at any cost. Here was the chance to get on the track of Broadway Billy! rv soon as they were out of sight from the saloon, Seth caught up with the boy and stopped him. ‘* My boy, what’s your name?” he asked, in such a tone as an old man might use, or as near to what Seth thought it ought to be as he could imitate. ‘‘ What's that ter you, old duff?” the boy demanded, pertly. ‘‘ Nothing, my little man, nothing; only I wanted to ask you some questions, that is all. How would you like to earn some money? I suppose you know all the streets around here, don’t you?” ‘‘Guess 1 do, boss; where do you want to go?” ‘‘Well, I want to find the street they call Broadway, and then I want to find Number —. Do you think you could guide me there?” ‘You bet, if there’s sug in it.” ‘* Tf there’s what in it?” * ‘‘Sug—-short for sugar; sugar means money, ec?” ‘Oh! Why, yes, there’s money in it, of course; that is, I'll pay you for the trouble, of course, Come right on.” The boy complied, evidently glad of the prospect for earning a little spending money. ‘‘What did you say your name is?” Seth asked, as they went along. ‘“‘Tip Feeny, sir.” ‘‘Oh! then you are Hob Feeny’s boy, are ou?” 27 Yes; do you know my pop?” ‘« He’s a little man, isn’t he?” ‘*Not much he ain’t,” with pride, Comic VOOK ‘* He's gn ) ‘ i